North Korea Launches Missile Kim Says Can Reach US

North Korea Launches Another Missile

North Korea Launches another missile which Kim Jong-un says is capable of reaching the “whole US mainland.” South Korea’s joint chiefs of staff said they believe the missile tested on Friday is more advanced than one that was launched earlier this month. The missile launched last month, according to experts, said the test showed Pyongyang had the ability to hit Alaska.

Missile Splashed Down Near Japan

The missile splashed down west of the Shakotan Peninsula of Japan’s northernmost main island of Hokkaido, well within Japan’s Exclusive Economic Zone according to Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida. Analyses from US, South Korea and Japan indicate the missile flew about 45 minutes. It flew to an altitude of 2,300 miles for a distance of 621 miles.

If the missile were fired on a flatter, standard trajectory, it would be capable of striking such cities as Los Angeles, Denver and Chicago. It would have the possible ability to reach as far as New York and Boston according to David Wright, a missile expert at the Union of Concerned Scientists.

President Donald Trump condemned the North Korean missile launch. He said the US would act to ensure its security. “Threatening the world, these weapons and tests further isolate North Korea, weaken its economy and deprive its people,” the president said in a written statement. The statement also said, “The United States will take all necessary steps to ensure the security of the American homeland and protect our allies in the region.”

Kim was quoted as saying, “the whole US mainland is now within North Korea’s reach.” He referred to the weapons program as “a precious asset” that cannot be reversed or replaced.

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said China and Russia need to do more to stop North Korea. He said, “As the principal economic enablers of North Korea’s nuclear weapon and ballistic missile development program, China and Russia bear unique and special responsibility for this growing threat to regional and global stability.”

After being in power for less than six years, Kim has tested more missiles than his father and grandfather combined.

Democratic Rep. Ted Lieu told CNN, “North Korea’s latest missile test shows the Trump administration’s actions are not changing North Korea’s behavior and it’s time for the President to articulate a comprehensive strategy to the American people – so far he’s failed to do that.”